You wont be disappointed with this new foxglove if you like to see immediate results, as it will nearly always flower in its first year. The pure-white flowers that form on the upright branching stems, have a pretty freckling of plum coloured markings in their throat, and if cut back promptly, there may well be a second flush of flowers later in the year.

Garden care:Ensure that the soil is kept moist in summer. After flowering, cut back the flowered spikes to encourage more sideshoots. Cut down to the ground after flowering. Apply a generous 5-7 cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the plant in early spring.

These plants are mainly short-lived perennials, although if happy they will produce plenty of new sideshoots and self-seed freely.

Campanula carpatica f. alba 'Weisse Clips'

bellflower

Early flowering roses tend to come in shades of white, pink or purple-pink and most forms of the biennial foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, have toning flowers in similar colours. These appear in rose time, but carry on after the first rose flush has finished